It’s early in an Olympic year. An unknown young man breaks through at 800, running 1:45.77. A scarcely better-known young woman breaks the national record in the 100 metres, speeding down the straightaway in 11.10 seconds.
This writer has long adjusted himself to the fact of not being lord of his own household. Even so, being told not to sit in any chair I chose at the empty kitchen table was a confronting reminder of my status. That it was because one of the world’s greatest marathoners had recently occupied it took a little longer to sink in.
Someone recently had the temerity to suggest that this column lives too often in the past.
We could respond that there’s a lot more history in the past than there is in the present. And who knows the future anyway? But fair comment we replied and since then have tried to avoid the past as much as possible.
Since assuming the leadership of World Athletics, Sebastian Coe has repeatedly championed the need for change.
Catriona Bisset ended a 49-year drought as she was named in the world top-10 in Track&Field News magazine’s annual rankings for 2023, one of ten Australian athletes to garner a top-10 ranking.
Monday – Fitzy’s Hut; Tuesday – fartlek; Wednesday – Spion Kopje; Thursday – trackwork; Friday – Tower Run; Saturday – Mt McKay; Sunday – Pretty Valley.
We’re beginning this look at 2023 with the world cross-country because . . . well. Because it is the world cross-country, it was being staged in Australia and it is the biggest international event staged here since the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games (due respect to the 2001 IAAF Grand Prix final and the Melbourne 2006 and Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
How to solve a big problem? Create up to six more problems almost as difficult as the one you were trying to solve in the first place.
This thought came to mind after watching Genevieve Gregson run 2:23:08 in last Sunday’s Valencia marathon. Just as she has so many times now throughout her career, Gregson produced on the big occasion. When it mattered. If you wanted someone to run for your life, Genevieve Gregson would be a pretty good choice.
Beer tunnels, a bridge across the track taking spectators to the infield, food trucks, flash tattoos and a DJ – spectators above a certain age had to be advised this was not a reference to a ‘superior’ department store but the job description of the bloke playing the music – meant there was never a dull moment. In deference to the same spectators, the volume was mercifully lowered.
